Christmas tree farm continues providing trees to Wood Co. after 45 years

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - For 45 years Evergreen Christmas Tree Farms is continuing to provide christmas trees for people in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“At one time, in the 70′s, when we started planting there were eight different Christmas tree farms in Wood County. Since then, there are two,” says Evergreen Christmas Tree Farms owner, Terry Dunn.

Dunn took over this plot of land in the early 70′s with his brother.

The area used to be the old family farm, and Dunn says that when he started this with his brother. The two didn’t know too much before starting up the Christmas tree farm business.

“When we first started out, we knew absolutely nothing about the Christmas tree business. And it was a trial and error for the next X number of years. And we’re still learning by mistakes and stuff that we make,” says Dunn. “So, you never learn it all. You always learn something as you go through the business.”

From mowing to spraying for diseases and weeds, Dunn says getting everything best suited for these trees can be a real process. Especially with how long it can take these trees to grow.

“So, it’s a constant maintenance of the trees you have. And, you know, you look at some of these small trees here. These trees right here – that little tree right there is three years old already in the ground. Three years. That’s a Norway Spruce, they grow two years slower than the rest of them. So, that tree that’s going to be a six-foot tree, it’s going to be eight to nine years old in the ground by the time it reaches that age,” says Dunn. “White pine on the other hand, which are like these long soft needles, six-and-a-half years to seven years and you’ll have a six-foot tree.”

He said he even had to learn what is best suited for different trees.

“Norway Spruce for example, they do best in a shady environment compared to Scotch Pine and White Pine,” says Dunn. “So, we try – anytime we’ve got trees around the perimeter of the field – we usually try to put Norway Spruce in those locations. The Scotch Pine or White Pine, we try to put out in more open areas because they require a little more sunshine than the Norways do.”

And Dunn says that through the 45 years, the farm still has a lot of people that continue to come around.

Including many generations of families coming back.

“We’ve got people that come that they were babies in their parents’ arms when they first came. And then we have people that come that their grandparents’ parents brought them,” says Dunn. “So, it’s a real good business to meet a lot of people in and see some really, really fun moments that people that people have.”

Dunn says that Christmas tree sales will be back open to the public at the start of Thanksgiving.

Sales will be happening every Thursday through Sunday every week until they’re out of trees.

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